Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Max von Thun

Justin Hendrix @justinhendrix.bsky.social · 4h

"Surging valuations of artificial intelligence companies are intensifying the risk of a -sudden correction' in global financial markets after equity prices reached levels comparable with the dotcom bubble, the Bank of England has warned." on.ft.com/4mSeT4Q

Bank of England flags risk of ‘sudden correction’ in tech stocks inflated by AI

Financial Policy Committee warns equity prices are at levels comparable with dotcom bubble

on.ft.com

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Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 4d

Tommy Robinson posted a neo-Nazi blog that accused me and my fellow Jews Jack Straw and Barbara Roche of conspiring to flood the UK with immigrants.

Otto English @ottoenglish.bsky.social · 4d

Tommy Robinson invited to Israel by Amichai Chikli the Minister of Diaspora Affairs.

In the wake of the horrific Manchester terrorist
attack, Israel and the Jewish people stand firmly
with our allies in the United Kingdom.

On behalf of the State of Israel, I am proud to
host British patriot @TRobinsonNewEra who will
visit Israel in mid-October.

Tommy is a courageous leader on the front line
against radical Islam.

At a time when Jews across Europe face rising
antisemitism, it is vital to strengthen bonds with
allies who refuse to be silent.

He has proven himself a true friend of Israel and
the Jewish people, unafraid to speak the truth
and confront hate.

Israel will always stand with the Jewish
community and our allies worldwide. Together
with friends like Tommy Robinson, we will build
stronger bridges of solidarity, fight terror,

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The Nation Magazine @thenation.com · 4d

This is the rhythm of life in Gaza City, writes Mohammed al-Sawwaf: displacement after displacement, death after death, with no time for mourning—only desperate attempts to save whoever is left.

www.thenation.com

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Ed Zitron @edzitron.com · 4d

dumb dogshit as ever

The Wall Street Journal @wsj.com · 4d

“If there's gonna be a terminator, let him be American.” Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice explains why she says the U.S. needs to “run hard and run fast” and win the tech race with China.

🎧 Listen to the latest episode of Bold Names: on.wsj.com/3WmWYs8

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Max von Thun @maxvonthun.bsky.social · 4d

While the Trump administration complains about “censorship” by European regulators, Google and Apple are quietly removing apps the government doesn’t like.

The hypocrisy isn’t an accident - it’s the whole point.

Nora Benavidez @attorneynora.bsky.social · 4d

This is classic authoritarian behavior: using official power to cut off information access. Doing so thru the Apple App Store is simply a modern day avenue; of course DOJ won’t stop here. Likely gearing up to cut off messenger apps too. Thnx @mmasnick.bsky.social: www.techdirt.com/2025/10/03/d...

DOJ Demands Removal Of ICEBlock App; Why Are The ‘Free Speech Warriors’ Suddenly So Quiet?

For years now, the MAGA crowd has been absolutely convinced that the Biden administration engaged in the most egregious censorship campaign in American history. They’ve waved around the Murth…

www.techdirt.com

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Ben Ansell @benansell.bsky.social · 8d

Is there a reason I ask that the Times are using a picture of asylum seekers in a boat to describe rules for migrants who came on legal routes such as skilled worker visas for doctors?

The Times & Sunday Times @thetimes.com · 8d

Tough new conditions to be imposed on migrants who want to settle in the UK will not apply to more than a million people who arrived in the UK under the post-Brexit immigration surge

Labour’s tough new rules will not apply to migrants already in UK

www.thetimes.com

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Claes de Vreese @claesdevreese.bsky.social · 8d

More than half of Americans get their news regularly from Tiktok. And this has more than doubled in 5 years. Tiktok has become a key gateway to news and politics.

This makes ownership of and content on the platform even more important.

Source: @pewresearch.org

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Noah Barkin @noahbarkin.bsky.social · 9d

A historic failure of US government/congressional oversight has given us a dystopian world in which the biggest social media platforms are owned by Zuckerberg, Musk and this guy. Europe is right to chart a different path.

Scott Horton @robertscotthorton.bsky.social · 10d

Larry Ellison envisions a surveillance state in which techbros rule. '“Citizens will be on their best behavior, because we’re constantly recording and reporting everything that is going on,” Ellison said in an hour-long Q&A during Oracle’s Financial Analyst Meeting last week.'

Larry Ellison predicts rise of the modern surveillance state where ‘citizens will be on their best behavior’ | Fortune

Oracle's Larry Ellison believes citizens and police alike will be under constant surveillance of each other.

fortune.com

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Max von Thun @maxvonthun.bsky.social · 10d

There's another option – enforce your rules and stop pretending that the US is still Europe's ally.

Henry Foy @henryjfoy.ft.com · 10d

Prove your rules don’t target US tech or fix them, Trump’s ambassador to Brussels warns EU

“Obviously, if we’re going to have a good relationship going forward, you can’t have legislation that punishes... your ally,” Andrew Puzder tells @financialtimes.com

w @bmoens.bsky.social

on.ft.com/4nUQVXH

Brussels told to prove digital rules do not ‘punish’ US tech or fix them

[FREE TO READ] Donald Trump’s ambassador to EU says no US president can ‘allow these kinds of infringements’ on American companies

on.ft.com

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Dmitry Grozoubinski @explaintrade.com · 10d

This is not un-related to the "rural people are inherently moral, kind, and pure, unlike those mean spiritually corrupt city folk" noble savage bullshit.

BeijingPalmer @beijingpalmer.bsky.social · 10d

there's a tendency in parts of the left to believe that 'community' is the answer to everything but communities are often horrendous!

rev. howard arson @theophite.bsky.social · 10d

did not realize that prisonculture's "abolitionism" consists of believing that lynchings would be better if they were conducted at lilith fair

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Duncan Robinson @duncanrobinson.bsky.social · 10d

Boomer radicalisation is such a ln overlooked problem

Esheru @esherukweku.bsky.social · 11d

A 64-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life after a fire at a London hotel housing asylum seekers.

This is where we are now. Where are the politicians to call this out? Or do they not want to upset their right wing base?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Man arrested after fire at London asylum seekers' hotel

The blaze is being treated as a hate crime by officers investigating.

www.bbc.co.uk

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James Ball @jamesrball.com · 10d

What a totally original idea!

Scott Horton @robertscotthorton.bsky.social · 10d

Larry Ellison envisions a surveillance state in which techbros rule. '“Citizens will be on their best behavior, because we’re constantly recording and reporting everything that is going on,” Ellison said in an hour-long Q&A during Oracle’s Financial Analyst Meeting last week.'

Larry Ellison predicts rise of the modern surveillance state where ‘citizens will be on their best behavior’ | Fortune

Oracle's Larry Ellison believes citizens and police alike will be under constant surveillance of each other.

fortune.com

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Rachel Coldicutt @rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social · 14d

Suspect this New Statesman deep dive into the Tony Blair Institute makes the case that the correct "Economist descriptor" for the TBI is now "Oracle dealership" rather than "think tank" www.newstatesman.com/politics/202...

Inside the Tony Blair Institute

Who really benefits from the former PM’s tech evangelism?

www.newstatesman.com

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Abe Newman @abenewman.bsky.social · 11d

1/This is Transatlantic leadership! In historic move, German Chancellor Merz calls out US: “democracy is under pressure, freedom of expression is being questioned, and the independence of the judiciary is being repressed“.
www.reuters.com/technology/g...

Germany's Merz criticises US' fundamental shift from following rules

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticised the United States on Friday for no longer following the rules, part of what he called a fundamental shift in Europe's transatlantic partner.

www.reuters.com

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Max von Thun @maxvonthun.bsky.social · 11d

“We studied more than 70 different elections that took place in 12 western European countries over several decades, and found that when mainstream parties take more anti-immigration positions, it leads to more support for the radical right, not less.”

Tarik Abou-Chadi @tabouchadi.bsky.social · 12d

For the Guardian, @turnbulldugarte.com and I discuss our research that clearly shows one thing: Labour's anti-immigration strategy will only strengthen Reform and weaken its own electoral prospects. It won't win voters back but ultimately normalizes the far right

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Our research makes it clear: by capitulating to the right, Labour is driving voters to Reform UK | Tarik Abou-Chadi and Stuart Turnbull-Dugarte

Mimicking Farage on immigration is senseless. Labour voters feel betrayed; anti-immigration voters see through the ruse, say academics Tarik Abou-Chadi and Stuart Turnbull-Dugarte

www.theguardian.com

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Nicolai von Ondarza @nvondarza.bsky.social · 11d

Telling and depressing poll - both for the results and the sheer normalisation of polling 'Should people who are married to a British citizen/are working and paying taxes/have lived in the UK for over twenty years... have their permanent tight to stay removed and be deported' like a normal policy.

YouGov @yougov.co.uk · 11d

The majority of Reform UK voters would see indefinite leave to remain removed from all of the groups we asked about, apart from those who have lived in the UK for 20+ years

yougov.co.uk/politics/art...

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Max von Thun @maxvonthun.bsky.social · 11d

One of the best things I’ve read on the existential threat posed by the alliance between far-right populists and the tech broligarchy.

Instead of standing up for the citizens that elected them, politicians are hoodwinked by the tech bros flimsy promises of technological utopia.

on.ft.com/3WbdPy4

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Michelle Nie @michellenie.bsky.social · 11d

Great article by @megafreda.bsky.social! Thanks for the shoutout for my cloud work w/ @openmarkets.bsky.social (w/ @maxvonthun.bsky.social and @danielahanley.bsky.social)

Tech Policy Press @techpolicypress.bsky.social · 12d

The European Commission is weighing whether the Digital Markets Act adequately covers integrated AI or if explicit inclusion is needed. Tech Policy Press fellow
@megafreda.bsky.social explores the growing push to bring these systems firmly under its scope.

Will the EU Designate AI Under the Digital Markets Act? | TechPolicy.Press

Megan Kirkwood unpacks the growing momentum to bring integrated AI applications under the scope of Europe's Digital Markets Act.

www.techpolicy.press

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ProMarket @promarket.bsky.social · 13d

NEW: @maxvonthun.bsky.social and Claire Lavin (@openmarkets.bsky.social) argue that the European Commission must revise its merger guidelines to emphasize how competition policy can protect goals beyond prices, including innovation, security, and democracy.

The EU Must Revise Its Merger Guidelines To Strengthen Innovation, Security, and Democracy - ProMarket

Max von Thun and Claire Lavin argue that the European Commission must revise its merger guidelines to emphasize how competition policy can protect goals beyond prices, including innovation, security, and democracy. This will create a more prosperous European Union.

www.promarket.org

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Marina Purkiss @marina-purkiss.bsky.social · 29d

Funny…

I remember when they promised Brexit would do that.

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Max von Thun @maxvonthun.bsky.social · Sep 8

"Rightwing populists all over Europe want to destroy the ability of the UK and the EU to regulate large tech platforms — a move that might threaten their disinformation campaigns with genuine political debate."

@ranaforoohar.bsky.social

www.ft.com/content/62b1...

Protecting Big Tech, not free speech

Trump and Farage are using censorship as a cloak for disinformation

www.ft.com

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Fabio Chiusi @fabiochiusi.bsky.social · Sep 7

“people with lower AI literacy are typically more receptive to AI,"

"people with lower AI literacy are more likely to perceive AI as magical and experience feelings of awe in the face of AI's execution of tasks that seem to require uniquely human attributes."

futurism.com/more-people-...

The AI Industry Has a Dirty Secret

Researchers have found that trust in artificial intelligence falls among people as they become more AI literate.

futurism.com

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Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · Sep 7

One of the weaknesses of modern liberalism is not realising this and so not using state power in a responsible way to regulate companies.

Daniel Knowles @dlknowles.bsky.social · Sep 7

It's hard watching these clips not to feel just utter revulsion at well, er, capitalism. But the thing is, what this actually shows is the *weakness* of "capital". In authoritarian countries this is what business is always like. Totally obsequious to power, because the King can destroy you

Ketan Joshi @ketanjoshi.co · Sep 6

Incredible clip of tech CEOs fawning over Donald Trump. Someone store this clip in the underground archive vault

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Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · Sep 7

Mostly, they say “don’t.”

Here's how doctors say you should ask AI for medical help | CBC Radio

Many doctors think patients should avoid consulting artificial intelligence for medical advice. Still, with roughly 6.5 million Canadians without a primary care provider, doctors acknowledge they can'...

www.cbc.ca

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Eliot Higgins @eliothiggins.bsky.social · Sep 2

When centrists adopt far-right rhetoric, they don’t make themselves stronger. They make themselves look inauthentic, legitimise the far right, and shift the political debate onto terrain defined by their opponents.
www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...

Cooper suggests asylum seekers could be moved into warehouses instead of hotels – UK politics live

Home secretary says government aims to ‘shrink the whole asylum system’ and is looking at ‘military and industrial sites’

www.theguardian.com

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